Learning Without Scars

Ron Slee
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As a third-generation educator, it is easy to say that teaching and training are in the blood for Ron Slee. From his beginnings as a coach, through his time at McGill University, Ron developed a foundation for the work he does today. From working within dealerships, to operating a consulting company, creating a training business and running twenty groups, Ron has been directly involved in this Industry since 1969. Ron has been known as the industry expert for years, and has brought this expertise to bear through his training programs. Today, Ron provides specialized, job function based internet based subject specific classes, job function skills assessments, as well virtual seminars and webinars. These courses are designed for manufacturers and their dealers, as well as independent businesses in the construction equipment, light industrial, on-highway, engine, and agricultural industries through Learning Without Scars (www.LearningWithoutScars.com). This platform is a continuation of the work begun by Quest, Learning Centers which was established in 1996. This training is aimed at improving dealer parts and service operations through qualified people that are knowledgeable in using operational metrics and current market and operational best practice methods. 

  1. How Fractional HR Helps Founder-Led Firms Avoid Landmines And Build Better Teams

    1D AGO

    How Fractional HR Helps Founder-Led Firms Avoid Landmines And Build Better Teams

    Send a text Ever wonder why hiring costs keep rising while performance stalls? We sit down with HR leader turned fractional consultant Seth McColley to unpack how founder-led companies in construction, manufacturing, and distribution can get senior HR capability without a full-time hire. Seth shares practical plays that save money fast—like replacing pricey recruiter fees with smart sourcing—and shows how to build a review process that actually improves performance instead of sparking anxiety. We dive into the backbone of execution: job descriptions that are real, measurable, and updated on a cadence. Seth walks through pairing self-assessments with manager assessments to expose gaps early, then turning those insights into targeted coaching, training, and better project assignments. We challenge the norm of tying performance reviews to pay, making the case for separating growth conversations from compensation so people hear feedback and act on it. Along the way, we cover legal pitfalls across states, termination planning, and why clear documentation is both fair and protective. This conversation also tackles culture and operations at street level. From low-hanging revenue—like calling back parts portal visitors—to mystery-shopping your phones and building rotation programs, we highlight repeatable habits that compound trust and results. And when succession looms, we map the human risks: runners-up who bolt, or worse, stay bitter. The fix is proactive roles, rotations, or dignified off-ramps. Above all, we argue HR must learn the business: margins, customers, shop realities. That’s how policies, hiring, and reviews line up with what wins in the field. If you lead a small to mid-sized, founder-led team and want fewer landmines, faster hires, and reviews that move the needle, this one’s for you. Subscribe, share with a colleague who wears “HR by default,” and leave a review with your biggest HR challenge—what should we break down next? Visit us at LearningWithoutScars.org for more training solutions for Equipment Dealerships - Construction, Mining, Agriculture, Cranes, Trucks and Trailers. We provide comprehensive online learning programs for employees starting with an individualized skills assessment to a personalized employee development program designed for their skill level.

    53 min
  2. If Best Doesn’t Mean What You Think, What Does It Mean

    FEB 13

    If Best Doesn’t Mean What You Think, What Does It Mean

    Send a text What if your dealership stopped reacting to problems and started predicting opportunity? We sat down with Mets and Nick, the team behind a from-scratch dealer management platform, to trace how a human-centered CRM evolved into a scalable DMS and where AI now multiplies the impact. The throughline is simple and bold: technology should fit the business, not the other way around—and clean signals beat crowded screens. We walk through the early missteps and course corrections that every tech leader will recognize: rebuilding the stack to something future-proof and hireable, resisting feature bloat, and prioritizing role-specific views so parts, service, and sales see only what they need. From there the conversation shifts to the power of triggers. Think: the buyer who always orders every two weeks but has gone silent, the fleet that hits a three-year mark, the prospect who clicks a high-value email at 10 p.m. With disciplined data capture—site behavior, email engagement, telematics, service milestones—AI can surface these moments automatically and route them to the right person at the right time. We also tackle the cultural roadblocks. Dealers will approve a multimillion-dollar machine in a heartbeat but hesitate to invest five figures in software that guarantees faster quotes and same-day invoicing. Yet this is where ROI hides: shaving clicks off the parts counter, auto-alerting sales to strong intent, turning completed jobs into instant, accurate bills. As sensor data grows, AI helps redefine what “best operator” means by weighing idle time, safety, maintenance, weather, and job complexity, not just output. Roles evolve too—analysts curate data quality and validate model insights while frontline teams act on event-driven queues instead of chasing stale lists. If you’ve wondered how to go from dashboards to decisions, this conversation lays out a practical path: start with foundations, capture the right signals with consent, let AI find patterns, and make it effortless to act. Your brand and territory are strengths; pairing them with proactive, data-led workflows is the competitive edge. Enjoy the episode, then subscribe, share with a colleague who still lives in spreadsheets, and leave a review telling us the first workflow you’d automate. Visit us at LearningWithoutScars.org for more training solutions for Equipment Dealerships - Construction, Mining, Agriculture, Cranes, Trucks and Trailers. We provide comprehensive online learning programs for employees starting with an individualized skills assessment to a personalized employee development program designed for their skill level.

    57 min
  3. Old Tools, New Minds

    FEB 8

    Old Tools, New Minds

    Send a text Two veterans compare notes across decades and land on a surprising culprit: speed. We’ve made decks faster, calls shorter, and data denser—yet clear thinking, discovery, and trust are harder to find. So we unpack how to win in a world that moves this quickly without letting the work get shallow. We start with an honest look at craft. Flip charts forced logic; slides can hide it. That same trade-off shows up in sales. Features and price feel efficient, but real results come from visiting the operation, learning how money is made, and fixing pain the customer actually feels. We share field-tested rituals—loss reviews, win reviews, and customer councils—that reveal blind spots and shape offers that stick. There’s smart tech here too: AI models that predict companion parts and boost helpful upsells, but only because they’re tied to domain knowledge and genuine curiosity. Culture becomes the engine. People do their best work when they’re known and safe to speak up. We talk about simple moves that change everything: time blocking that protects “think time,” a monthly “three-to-five fixes” habit anyone can own, and playful recognition that makes excellence visible. An ownership mindset—like an ESOP—teaches cause and effect, rewards small wins, and turns visibility tools from “surveillance” into shared gains. We also call out a quiet gap: parts, service, and sales management lack practical certification, so many learn to survive the job without ever learning the job. Internships, co-ops, and rotational training rebuild the bench and speed trust. AI threads the conversation with nuance. Adoption is lower than the headlines suggest, and that’s normal; every breakthrough needs process change to matter. We argue for foundations first—teach measurement before automating it, teach thinking before prompting—and for using AI to buy back time you reinvest in relationships, strategy, and craft. The constant through every story is simple: reduce pain, earn trust, and create space to think. Do that, and the tools amplify you. Skip it, and the tools just make bad habits faster. If this resonates, share it with a teammate, subscribe for more candid conversations, and leave a review telling us one ritual you use to protect your thinking time. Visit us at LearningWithoutScars.org for more training solutions for Equipment Dealerships - Construction, Mining, Agriculture, Cranes, Trucks and Trailers. We provide comprehensive online learning programs for employees starting with an individualized skills assessment to a personalized employee development program designed for their skill level.

    1h 2m
  4. What If The Normal Distribution Is The Biggest Lie In Your Business

    FEB 2

    What If The Normal Distribution Is The Biggest Lie In Your Business

    Send a text If 3 percent of your customers drive 60 percent of your revenue, how much of your budget do they actually get? We open the hood on the equipment industry’s quiet math—where rental term length dictates margin, customer concentration drives fragility, and blended sales-rental models bleed value. With Nick Mavrick, we connect dots from Wayne Huizenga’s roll-ups and Blockbuster’s rental logic to today’s Sunbelt and United advantage, then show how dealers can counter with focus, clean data, and local execution that wins loyalty for years. We dig into Volvo Rents as a case study in structure: why franchising empowered local operators to target the 15 accounts that move the needle, and how financing allure pulled in owners without the operating muscle to sustain performance. We explain why sales and rental need separate P&Ls, leadership, and incentives; how average rental term becomes a profit engine; and why national accounts can’t be ceded to rental oligarchs when coordinated regional dealer execution can compete. Along the way, we challenge the myth of the normal distribution and replace it with the power law you already feel in your numbers. Then we get practical. Define your top 100 must-win accounts and the next 100 rising stars. Reallocate spend from the long tail to the core. Build lifecycle intelligence by model—parts and service per hour, expected life, resale value—and use real machine population by brand to guide outreach. Establish a single source of truth before layering AI to accelerate insights. The goal isn’t to copy the giants; it’s to out-serve them where you live, with fast decisions, clear promises, and people who know customers by name. If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a colleague who needs a sharper plan, and leave a review to help more operators find these conversations. Your next quarter’s margin may start with one clean list and one tough cut—what’s the first change you’ll make? Visit us at LearningWithoutScars.org for more training solutions for Equipment Dealerships - Construction, Mining, Agriculture, Cranes, Trucks and Trailers. We provide comprehensive online learning programs for employees starting with an individualized skills assessment to a personalized employee development program designed for their skill level.

    1h 8m
  5. How Concentration, Clean Data, And Customer Choice Beat Giants

    10/20/2025

    How Concentration, Clean Data, And Customer Choice Beat Giants

    Send a text What if the fastest path to growth isn’t “more leads,” but fewer, better customers you serve so well they never leave? We dive into the uncomfortable truth most teams avoid: value is concentrated, churn is predictable, and the difference between winners and strugglers is a focused list, clean data, and relentless follow-through. Nick Mavrick of Built Data joins us to unpack how behavioral data flips strategy from guesswork to precision. We talk about why 3 percent of customers can drive most of the revenue, how to spot the accounts worth protecting, and why chasing the bottom of the market burns time and morale. Nick shares lessons from rental consolidation and dealers under pressure, then maps a practical path for OEMs and dealers to operate from a single, shared dataset that actually moves the needle: national to regional account targeting, unified telemetry for proactive service, and outcome-based offers that make loyalty rational. We get tactical on carving out “special forces” inside legacy organizations to bypass slow systems and prove change in 90 days. Think weekend war rooms, a defined list of high-potential accounts, service promises tied to uptime, and quarterly reviews that reward implementers. We also explore the shift from selling iron to selling outcomes: cost-per-hour, automatic replacements at thresholds, and machine health monitoring that turns vendors into partners. Along the way, we tackle supply chain capital traps, competing with national rental giants via human service, and how to raise standards one name at a time. If you’re tired of noisy dashboards and stale models, this conversation offers a cleaner lens: begin with the end, market to a defined list, and serve the right few better than anyone. Subscribe, share with a colleague who owns key accounts, and leave a review with one change you’ll make this quarter. Visit us at LearningWithoutScars.org for more training solutions for Equipment Dealerships - Construction, Mining, Agriculture, Cranes, Trucks and Trailers. We provide comprehensive online learning programs for employees starting with an individualized skills assessment to a personalized employee development program designed for their skill level.

    1h 4m
  6. Finding Joy in the 9-to-5: How Comedy Transforms Corporate Culture

    10/06/2025

    Finding Joy in the 9-to-5: How Comedy Transforms Corporate Culture

    Send a text What if the key to workplace productivity isn't another productivity app or time management system, but something far more elemental – laughter? Kevin Hubschmann, founder of laugh.events, reveals how strategic comedy breaks are revolutionizing corporate culture and employee well-being. The concept is beautifully simple yet scientifically sound: 15-minute comedy sessions that function as cognitive reset buttons during the workday. When scheduled during the notorious 2-4 PM energy slump, these "laugh breaks" reduce cortisol levels, boost endorphins, and help employees return to work refreshed and re-engaged. It's what Kevin calls "the new cigarette break" – a deliberate pause that acknowledges our biological need for mental rest. But the conversation goes deeper than scheduling comedy shows. Kevin explores how improvisational techniques build crucial "power skills" that distinguish humans from AI. As technology increasingly handles routine tasks, our uniquely human abilities – divergent thinking, authentic communication, creative problem-solving – become our most valuable professional assets. Through "laughing and development" workshops, teams learn to flex these creative muscles in safe, playful environments. The discussion takes fascinating turns through education reform, generational workplace differences, and how our lifelong conditioning toward obedience has created workforces that struggle with independent thinking. Kevin shares practical insights on bringing more authenticity to professional settings, making incremental changes that lead to meaningful growth, and creating environments where creativity can flourish within thoughtful boundaries. With predictions that 50% of Americans may lack skills for employment by 2030, this conversation offers a refreshingly optimistic counterpoint – a vision where technology handles the monotony while humans focus on connection, creativity and innovation. Ready to rethink how laughter might transform your workplace? This episode offers both the philosophical foundation and practical first steps. Subscribe to Kevin's newsletter at laughrx.laugh.events or visit laugh.events to explore how strategic comedy might revolutionize your team's culture and productivity. Visit us at LearningWithoutScars.org for more training solutions for Equipment Dealerships - Construction, Mining, Agriculture, Cranes, Trucks and Trailers. We provide comprehensive online learning programs for employees starting with an individualized skills assessment to a personalized employee development program designed for their skill level.

    56 min
  7. Data Before Decision: How AI Enhances Dealer Operations

    09/29/2025

    Data Before Decision: How AI Enhances Dealer Operations

    Send a text What happens when you combine 40 years of dealership experience with cutting-edge artificial intelligence? Troy Ottmer returns to share how he's becoming "an augmented individual with an expanded toolbox," using AI to amplify his industry knowledge rather than replace it. Troy reveals his methodical approach to consulting—always examining the data before jumping to conclusions or AI-generated solutions. This process allows him to quickly understand client businesses by analyzing everything from employee satisfaction metrics to customer reviews, creating a comprehensive view that would take weeks using traditional methods. The result? Faster, more accurate insights that help dealers identify their blind spots and growth opportunities. The conversation tackles a painful truth for equipment dealers: those not adopting AI technologies will soon be left behind. But Troy emphasizes that implementation must be thoughtful, with proper training and leadership. "We manage processes, we lead people," he reminds us, highlighting that technology alone can't fix cultural issues like poor customer service or departmental silos that plague many dealerships. Most fascinating is Troy's discussion of missed opportunities in maintenance services. With dealers capturing less than 5% of maintenance hours—despite this being among the most profitable service categories—AI analysis helps identify these revenue gaps and create strategies to recapture this business. Troy shares practical examples of using data to identify customers with competitive filters or changing purchase patterns, enabling proactive outreach that demonstrates care and expertise. As dealership consolidation continues across North America—with major brands reducing dealer counts dramatically—the strategic use of analytics becomes essential for survival. Troy's message is clear: AI isn't about replacing humans but augmenting them, giving team members better tools to serve customers and anticipate needs before they become problems. The future belongs to dealers who embrace this augmented approach, combining the irreplaceable human element with powerful analytical capabilities. Visit us at LearningWithoutScars.org for more training solutions for Equipment Dealerships - Construction, Mining, Agriculture, Cranes, Trucks and Trailers. We provide comprehensive online learning programs for employees starting with an individualized skills assessment to a personalized employee development program designed for their skill level.

    55 min
  8. Business Value and the Human Connection

    09/22/2025

    Business Value and the Human Connection

    Send a text What happens when you strip commerce down to its essence? In this thought-provoking conversation between industry veterans, we explore the fundamental truth that all business boils down to two people exchanging value—and everything else is just overhead. Steve Clegg opens with a powerful framework: the economy only functions through human exchange, yet we've built towering hierarchies of "rent-seekers" atop these simple transactions. Through cryptocurrency and AI, he envisions a future where these layers disappear, returning power to buyers and sellers. His work with Zentoro has achieved remarkable 98% accuracy in predicting customer retention through transaction patterns, revealing that frequency matters far more than transaction value. Venky Lakshminarayanan brings his expertise in value management, describing it as "orchestrating business functions to maximize customer value." He challenges listeners to question whether they truly understand what problems they're solving for customers. His insights on how value differs between enterprises (revenue, profits) and individuals (recognition, quality of life) provide a framework for aligning business objectives with human needs. Nick Mavrick from Built Data completes the picture by exposing how poorly most organizations support their field personnel with actionable market intelligence. He describes a world where salespeople lack basic knowledge about customer prioritization and market coverage, resulting in missed opportunities and frustration on both sides of the transaction. Among the most practical revelations is the "50-50 rule"—research showing that conversations where both parties speak equally are dramatically more likely to result in action. This golden ratio applies whether you're a doctor with patients, a manager with employees, or a salesperson with customers. The discussion also touches on the legacy burden of enterprise systems like CRMs, which have become expensive obstacles rather than value creators. As AI enables more agile alternatives at a fraction of the cost, businesses face a critical decision point: continue with systems that deliver poor ROI, or embrace transformation? Whether you're reconsidering your business model, evaluating technology investments, or simply trying to better understand customer behavior, this conversation offers clarity on what truly drives successful commerce in today's complex environment. Visit us at LearningWithoutScars.org for more training solutions for Equipment Dealerships - Construction, Mining, Agriculture, Cranes, Trucks and Trailers. We provide comprehensive online learning programs for employees starting with an individualized skills assessment to a personalized employee development program designed for their skill level.

    1h 6m
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About

As a third-generation educator, it is easy to say that teaching and training are in the blood for Ron Slee. From his beginnings as a coach, through his time at McGill University, Ron developed a foundation for the work he does today. From working within dealerships, to operating a consulting company, creating a training business and running twenty groups, Ron has been directly involved in this Industry since 1969. Ron has been known as the industry expert for years, and has brought this expertise to bear through his training programs. Today, Ron provides specialized, job function based internet based subject specific classes, job function skills assessments, as well virtual seminars and webinars. These courses are designed for manufacturers and their dealers, as well as independent businesses in the construction equipment, light industrial, on-highway, engine, and agricultural industries through Learning Without Scars (www.LearningWithoutScars.com). This platform is a continuation of the work begun by Quest, Learning Centers which was established in 1996. This training is aimed at improving dealer parts and service operations through qualified people that are knowledgeable in using operational metrics and current market and operational best practice methods. 

Information

  • Creator
    Ron Slee
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    168
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Learning Without Scars
  • Show Website
    Learning Without Scars